Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76FEBRUARY 2017 SEEDWORLD.COM / 51 yields nearly double the amount of sweet corn per ear than standard varieties. It’s also beautiful and delicious, descending rom much older generations of original North American par- ents. So it’s more like what Native Americans ate, but much larger.” Latest Innovations When it comes to the latest innovations in vegetable seed vari- eties, there remains a seemingly constant flow of new ideas, says Nicholas Tinel, HM.CLAUSE’s vice president of research and development, American Pacific Region. “We emphasize innovations that benefit both growers and consumers,” Tinel says. “Our recent innovations include adap- tation to a changing environment: resistance to emerging pests (Tuta Absoluta), new virus strains, and new abiotic stresses linked to global warming, such as drought and increased soil salinity. “We’ve also made advancements with regard to consumer traits that were informed by a better understanding of con- sumer preference and plant metabolism responsible for aroma, sugar content, shelf life and sugar degradation.” Tinel adds that as the world population continues to grow, demands for food production increase. “We care about finding sustainable solutions to the agricul- tural challenges of today and recognize the need to produce more food with less inputs,” he says. “Farmers are the first to benefit from seed innovation because our ultimate goal is to increase marketable yield with varieties that are — in the most basic terms — easier to grow. “Consumers also benefit from these innovations because they receive better fruit quality, better food and reduced use of pesticides on multi-disease resistant varieties. These advancements are better for the health of the planet and the people who inhabit it, now and in the future.” At Monsanto, Beukelman says they have been looking at efficiencies and how to improve the uniformity of harvest — specifically in broccoli and cauliflower. “We developed a ‘raised head’ broccoli line, High Rise, in which the crown is sitting on a longer stem, which allows for the potential for mechanical harvest,” Beukelman says. “Monsanto is working on a product concept in cauliflower that has a more intense white color so that it doesn’t turn yellow when exposed to sunlight, making a more attractive offering at consumer level. “We also have been developing a cross between romaine and iceberg lettuce, our Frescada line, which offers crispy texture and flavor profile of iceberg, combined with the dark green color and potential for mechanical harvest seen with romaine.” Burpee’s Ball adds that: “People didn’t trust seed compa- nies in 1876 like they do now. …Farmers take the biggest risks in the business world. This trust depends on our quality at all levels of both the gardening and farming experience.” SW